Posts Tagged ‘Performing Musicians and Exercise’

This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Performing Musicians and Exercise, is published on this website in a PDF format. It shows the performing musician how to exercise without causing wear and tear to the body or compromise the quality of their performing technique.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A.

I was lifting weights the other day and became acutely aware I was rushing through my workout. Here I am an Alexander Technique teacher with three years of training that taught me to focus on how I lifted, not on making sure at all costs I complete the workout and the repetitions I wanted to do.

I see the same thing with musicians playing a piece or singing. They are determined at all costs to complete the piece, and this usually means the performer begins to play or sing faster and faster.

WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE EXERCISING OR PRACTICING GET IN A RUSH TO FINISH? OUR CULTURE REWARDS COMPLETING SOMETHING CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN HOW WE COMPLETE IT.

After all, completing a certain amount of repetitions in the weight room or making it to the end of a piece of music gets rewarded no matter the price we pay.

WHAT DO I MEAN BY THE PRICE WE PAY?

It is a physical and emotional price, because if you are focused on making it through a workout or a piece of music before you run out of gas or mess up, then you’re probably rushing and stressed as you play, sing, or exercise.

Whether the listener or the watcher sees and/or hears that you are pressuring yourself, you know it! If you check out how your body is feeling and how rushed you feel in your mind, you will sense how much excess tension there is in your body.

TENSION, DOES NOT A BETTER WORKOUT MAKE.
TENSION, DOES NOT A BETTER PRACTICE SESSION OR PERFORMANCE MAKE.

By definition, if you’re trying to make it through a workout before your muscles fail, this will mean you will probably fail before you finish your repetitions or your lifting or running, and your form/technique will be compromised even if you make it.

It is much the same for performing or practicing a musical piece. How can you truly create a musical rendition, if you’re holding on for dear life to complete the piece? You will probably rush the tempo, and not really be able to hear how you’re playing or singing.

What’s the solution?

LIFT LESS WEIGHT.

RUN SLOWER.

PLAY OR SING SLOWER.

How do the above changes help?

If you lift weight without rushing, then with each repetition, you can completely focus on your form, the range of motion, and breathing. In truth you will build more strength and stamina, if you’re not slinging the weight and using momentum to get the sets done.

If you run slower focusing on being fully vertical (upright), you will not hunker down and create excess pounding of your torso, legs, and feet.

If you play or sing without fear of making it to the end of the piece, you will not rush the tempo, hunker down and compromise your tone quality with excess whole body tension, as you perform closer and closer to tempo.

It really is a gift to yourself to exercise or make music at a loving pace, so that you’re enjoying what you’re doing in the moment continuously, rather than only being able to feel good about the activity at the moment you’re through doing it.